by Lily Graison
Looking around at those in camp, he knew she wasn’t safe from most of them despite him stringing Darqu up and leaving him there. Not everyone in camp was as content as they appeared. They never were. Someone, somewhere, was plotting to overthrow him and they’d do it by any means they could and using Mar-see to accomplish that was a given. It was probably why Darqu had felt confident enough to strike her to begin with. Hell, he may have been attempting a coup for all he knew.
You should have let her leave with the dragon and his mate.
The moment the thought whispered across his mind, something inside him balked, thrashing and clawing at him for even thinking such a thing. A red haze distorted his vision and the need to grab her and lock her away was so overwhelming he had to force himself to stay seated.
A sense of dread filled him a moment later. That possessiveness he felt for her was troubling. He’d felt it weeks ago, and it had been slowly growing. More so now that she’d been hurt. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew what that feeling was, that overwhelming need to keep her safe and close to him. His people called it soltangi and most longed for it all their lives, but very few ever managed to find it. His parents claimed to have, but he’d never expected to. Entertaining the notion that here, three galaxies away from Tridian III, he’d find a female who stirred his soul was absurd. That a female not of his own race would make his blood cry out for her even more so—but it did. It cried out for a female who was his perfect mate.
He’d tasted her the day he’d brought her to camp. Had sunk his teeth into her flesh and nearly moaned in pleasure as her blood spilled into his mouth. He wondered if that was what triggered his need for her. That brief moment after he’d bitten her and her blood had coated his tongue, the scent of it filling his head as the sweetness of it trickled down his throat. He’d grown hard the moment it hit his tongue and even now he’d kill for just one more drop.
Mar-see set the basket in her hand down and walked out of the circle the other females had formed around whatever it was they were working on. She glanced around camp before looking into the forest, then headed straight for it. She didn’t slow her steps as she neared the tree line and his heart thumped inside his chest as he watched her. Surely she wasn’t trying to leave again? After everything he’d done for her?
She stepped into the shade of the trees as if he hadn’t told her to stay in camp unless she had an escort and he was on his feet, striding across the distance with his blood pounding in his ears. How dare she try to leave again? Maybe she was the one who needed a lesson and not his men. As he marched toward her, thoughts of tying her inside his hut filled him with pleasure.
Those egg-shaped mushroom things that reminded her of an octopus when they opened were dotted along the tree line. Despite them looking gross, they tasted damn good. Krista said they were even good raw so grabbing a few more to hide away for when they got hungry was as good an excuse as any to leave camp. Four of them were clustered under a large tree nestled within the shadowy forest. She was reaching for them when a branch cracked behind her. Even though she’d only taken a few steps past the dirt circle of camp, it took the warlord no time to follow, just as she’d hoped he would.
The look on his face was one she’d seen too many times to count. He was furious, only this time that fury was directed at her. Maybe this game wasn’t a good idea after all.
“Do you test me? Is that why you constantly disobey?”
His voice boomed in the stillness. “I wasn’t—”
“—You were told to stay within the confines of camp!” He looked around at the trees. “This is clearly not camp.” Crossing the space between them, he pulled her close, her neck straining as she looked up at him. “Do I need to teach you lessons as well?”
Depends on the lessons. She didn’t reply, her gaze shooting across camp instead. Darqu’s rotting corpse filled her line of vision. Surely that wasn’t the type of lesson he meant. “No, I—”
He cut her off before she could say another word, his grip on her arm tightening. “You will obey me, human, or pay for your insolence.”
“Look, I—” She stopped talking when he turned her and marched her across camp. The other females watched them walk past, their eyes wide. Krista was the only one that didn’t look worried. If anything, she appeared amused.
The warlord took her to his hut, ordering her inside. She stopped a few steps from the door, puzzled when he didn’t follow her in. She was about to step to the leather door flap and look out when he walked in and let the flap fall shut behind him.
He gave her a harsh look before heading to the other side of the room. “Don’t get all worked up. I was just —”
“Quiet,” he said, rifling through the wooden box that sat along the wall. “You will speak when given permission to do so.” He pulled a piece of cloth in an unusual shade of turquoise from the box he was looking through and turned back to her. Maybe she should have thought this out more.
“I don’t think you realize how much trouble you are to me.” He stalked across the room toward her. “I have killed for you, ordered my men to treat you differently than the other females here, and yet you still walk about camp as if you are free to do as you please.”
“I was only trying—”
“—You will be silent.”
Marcy bit her tongue to keep from saying anything else and watched him advance on her.
“From this moment on, you will do nothing unless I have given you permission to do so, is that clear?”
She opened her mouth but one look at his face told her not to utter a word.
“Give me your hand.”
Curiosity brought her hand up. It had nothing to do with him telling her to do it.
Liar.
The material he held turned out to be a long strip of cloth. Marcy watched him tie it around her wrist, wondering what he was doing until he said, “Give me the other.”
The look in his eyes was one she hadn’t seen since the day under the waterfall. Her pulse leaped when he reached for her hand, tying it securely to the other then backing her across the room to one of the poles that held the roof up. A small metal peg was nailed into the beam. He pulled on her bound hands and hooked the cloth to it.
“Pull yourself free and I’ll let you go without punishment.”
Marcy stared at him for long moments before she looked up and wiggled her arms. The last time she’d been in this position, she’d been naked and standing in front of untold numbers of aliens in the arena. Like then, her toes barely touched the ground, and she didn’t have enough leverage to lift up any higher. She was stuck.
The warlord took a step toward her, stopping so close she could feel his breath against her face. “Have I not provided for you? Sheltered you? Clothed you?” A muscle in his cheek clenched. “I’ve killed for you and yet, you dare try to leave me.” He grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You belong to me, e’mahn neok. Did I not tell you punishment would be severe if you tried to leave again?”
An eager glint flashed in his eyes. Maybe she wasn’t the only one playing this game. Marcy opened her mouth to reply, but he lunged for her, grabbing and turning her head and biting into the side of her neck so quickly, a stunned scream crawled up her throat. The noise echoed in the room, her ears ringing at the sound. The pain she felt was replaced a moment later with a surge of heat that traveled the entire length of her body, ending up between her legs. She moaned as the burn was followed by small sparks of pleasure. What the hell was he doing to her?
The warlord pulled his teeth from her skin, then licked the spot he’d bitten her before lifting his head. His lips were stained red. He met her gaze before looking at the small trickle of blood that was flowing down her chest.
Marcy sucked in a breath when he reached for the criss-crossing band of cloth that covered her chest and pulled it aside, exposing her entire breast to him. She watched the drop of blood and glanced at him when it reached her areola. He licked the blood from his l
ips and lifted his eyes to hers. She felt the trickle of blood hit her nipple and sucked in a shaky breath when he bent his head, his tongue extending. The moment he licked her breast free of the blood, the heat that had been coursing though her veins intensified. The sight of him licking her nipple, his tongue circling the hardened bud, caused a shudder to race through her limbs. When his lips closed around it, the gentle pull as he sucked caused her non existent panties to fill with moisture.
She moaned, closed her eyes and leaned her head back, relishing the feel of him sucking her breast. He freed the other, his big hand cupping it and giving it small squeezes before he pinched the nipple.
She’d never been into bondage before but she’d read Fifty Shades of Grey. She didn’t know many who hadn’t and like all the others, wondered what it would feel like to be chained and pleasured. Well, if this was it, she should have signed up ages ago.
The warlord moved to her other breast, sucking and nibbling on her nipple before going back to the other. She lost track of time and briefly wondered if it was possible to orgasm just from someone sucking your tits. The pulsing throb between her legs said yeah … it was possible.
The ache between her legs grew unbearable to the point she clamped her legs together just for a bit of pressure on her throbbing lady parts. His attention to her breasts was so thorough she could feel moisture leaking onto her thighs and if he didn’t touch her soon—
He let go of her abruptly and stood to his full height. Marcy opened her eyes, watching him, her breaths panted out in short gasps. His strange amber eyes seemed brighter now as he looked at her kiss-swollen tits. He sucked in a breath, his nostrils flaring before he grabbed the material around her waist. He tugged at it until it loosened, then fell off her hips to pool on the floor at her feet. His gaze fell to the damp curls between her legs before he lowered his hand, his fingers barely caressing her inner thigh a moment later.
He locked eyes with her as he slid one finger between her folds, the callused pad brushing her clit before sliding further. She inhaled sharply as his nostrils flared again. “You are wet.”
No shit, sherlock. If he would just move his finger back to her clit she’d be more than wet. That finger between her folds slid inside of her and Marcy moaned again despite herself. Her eyes slid shut, and she spread her legs wider for him.
As he had under the waterfall, he fingered her as if he had no other desire in the world than to see her come. He worked her pussy until her entire body was trembling, her nipples aching as he pinched them with his free hand. When her stomach clenched signaling her impending climax, she sucked in a breath, raised up on her toes and—
He pulled his hand free. “Why do you disobey me?”
Marcy’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. Why did she disobey him? He picked now to have a chat? Her muscles were clamping down on air, her clit throbbing. “I—” She closed her eyes and squeezed her legs together. When she looked back up at him, the corner of his mouth was lifted. Was he enjoying her discomfort?
The warlord reached for the knot at the back of her neck, untying the material she covered her breasts with and pulled the cloth free, letting it fall to the floor with the skirt. He took three steps back, his gaze lingering on her breasts before lowering. When he finally lifted his eyes, the heat in his gaze caused that pulsing throb between her legs to intensify.
He suddenly turned on his heel and left the hut. Marcy stared at the swinging leather flap, anticipation at what he was going to do next humming through her veins. Seconds turned to long minutes and as the leather door flap stopped swinging, and the noise in camp rose, Marcy realized he wasn’t coming back.
Chapter Seventeen
He was so hard, his cock felt ready to break. Jorrick headed into the trees, stomping up the path to the pond. Tying Mar-see to a pole had seemed like a good idea at the time but now, he wondered who exactly was being tortured.
He could still taste her blood in his mouth. Why he’d bitten her he’d never know. Well, that’s not exactly true. He’d heard her heart pounding, saw the vein in her neck pulsing, and bloodlust had ridden him hard.
And he wanted more.
His own heart was racing by the time he reached the shelter of the cave's entrance and the darkness swallowed him as he headed to the waterfall. The air was cooler here, the scents that lingered in the forest cleared from his head in an instant. It took long minutes for his racing heart to calm and his agonizing hard on to go away.
The mist of water that always lingered in the air here was enough to clear the scent of Mar-see’s cunt from his nose. It would only take lifting his hand for it to fill his head again so he bent near the water's edge and washed his hands.
He stared at the ripples in the water, his mind’s eye filling with visions of Mar-see’s face twisted in tortured bliss. She’d been so close to coming. He wasn’t sure what made him step away and deny her but the shocked look on her face and the desperate need he saw in her eyes had made him rock hard. She’d wanted him. Needed him so badly in that moment—
He should have just fucked her. Taken what he wanted instead of playing this game but she needed to learn who was in charge.
This isn’t why you took her.
The same voice that had been whispering to him every time he thought of keeping Mar-see followed him out of the cave. He was beyond pretending now. He would have to get his revenge on Allok another way. The little human was his and by the time he was through with her, she would know it intimately.
And she’d beg him for more.
He’d told her on several occasions that any punishment he doled out on her would be severe and now, she believed him. Marcy had always assumed the warlord’s punishment would be some sort of torture but sexual torture? The thought had never entered her mind.
Her body had cooled, the tingles racing through her veins nonexistent by the time he returned. He said nothing when he entered the hut. Just stood there staring at her until the leather door hanging stopped swinging behind him, then he removed the leather bandolier he always wore and dropped it by his feet.
He approached her slowly, his gaze roaming her body from head to toe. When he stopped in front of her, her pulse was racing, her nipples tightening in anticipation of his touch. He was staring at her breasts when he raised his hand and ran the back of one finger over one tight tip, then the other.
“Where I came from, there were two types of females.” He brought his other hand up, sliding it between her thighs, his fingertips tickling a path up her leg. “Warriors—those who fought alongside the men in combat.” He slipped a finger between her folds, then slid it inside of her. “And nurturers.” Then added another. “Those who cared for the home, raised our young and—” He brushed her clit with his thumb, his fingers moving slowly in and out of her as he leaned so close she could feel his breath against her lips. “Obeyed every command given to them.”
Marcy’s eyes rolled in her head, those tingles from before coming back with a vengeance now. She spread her legs wider, her toes barely touching the ground as he fingered her and she silently begged him to never stop.
“Do you know which I preferred?”
She gasped, stars shooting sparks behind her closed eyelids as he increased the pressure on her clit. He pinched her nipple, and every bone felt weak as her stomach clenched tight.
“Look at me.”
Forcing her eyes open took work. She met his gaze, saw a glint of amusement shining in those amber eyes of his and knew, the orgasm she was on the brink of having was once again going to be denied. When he pulled away from her, a frustrated scream crawled up her throat.
“You will obey me, e’mahn neok. In all things.”
He left without another word and was gone long enough her body had cooled and she’d silently called him every low down rotten thing she could think of. When he came back what felt like hours later, he surprised her by crossing to where she hung, lowered his head, and sucked one breast, then the other, then alternated betwe
en the two until she was ready to come from nothing more than his mouth on her tits. She was biting her lip when he lifted his head to look at her and she knew she wasn’t the only one being affected by his torture. The heat she saw in his gaze told her that much.
He cupped both her breasts and took a step back, and to her utter astonishment, fell to one knee and looked up at her. He was so close to where she needed him she tilted her hips without thinking. He smiled, the tips of those fangs he’d used to bite into her neck shining moments before he grabbed her hips and leaned forward, burying his face between her legs.
“Sweet mother of—” The words were cut off with a groan, her eyes rolling back as his tongue slid against her clit. He sucked it into his mouth, pulling hard on it until she looked down at him. Seeing him there, on his knees eating her pussy like he was born to do it made every nerve in her body clench. She gasped, rolled her hips against his face and bit back a silent scream when he penetrated her with his tongue.
The warlord’s hunger for her was apparent. He pulled her closer, draped one of her legs over his shoulders and tongued her intimate folds until her legs started shaking, her breaths panted out between small squeals and the orgasm she’d been dying for earlier was so close to the surface she broke out into a cold sweat.
Then the fucker pulled away.
Marcy’s eyes snapped open just as he stood up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “What have you learned today, e’mahn neok?”
That you are a devious motherfucker. She didn’t say the words out loud, but she wanted to shout them in his face.
He looked please with himself but all it took was a glance down to know he was probably hurting as much as she was. He was rock hard and that massive cock of his was straining against his leather pants.